Marketing · Playbook
How to set up email/SMS customer reactivation campaigns
Lapsed customers (no service in 12-24 months) are highest-ROI marketing target. The campaign structure, targeting, and content that recovers 5-15% of lapsed customers per cycle.
Customer reactivation is dramatically more cost-effective than new customer acquisition. The customers already know you, you have their contact information, and they have established trust. Properly structured reactivation campaigns recover 5-15% of lapsed customers per cycle.
This playbook covers segmentation, campaign structure, content, and tracking for systematic customer reactivation.
The phases
Phase 1
Segment lapsed customer base
Week 1-2
Pull lapsed customer list from FSM platform: customers with no service activity in 12+ months but with prior service history.
Segment by lapse duration: 12-18 months lapsed (most likely to reactivate), 18-24 months lapsed (still warm), 24+ months lapsed (cold but worth one attempt).
Segment by service type: HVAC customers may need seasonal tune-up. Plumbing customers might respond to maintenance offering. Trade-specific messaging converts better than generic.
Validate contact information: check email deliverability and SMS opt-in status before campaign send.
Checkpoints
- Lapsed customer list pulled
- Segmented by duration and service type
- Contact information validated
Phase 2
Campaign content and offer
Week 2-3
Email/SMS sequence: 3-touch sequence over 30-45 days.
Touch 1 (Day 1): "It's been a while" — reference last service, mention seasonal relevance, offer welcome-back incentive (10-20% off next service).
Touch 2 (Day 14): "Quick reminder" — slightly different angle (peer-customer testimonial, seasonal urgency, expiring offer).
Touch 3 (Day 30): "Last chance" — final mention with same offer, closing language ("if now isn't the right time, we'll be here when you need us").
Personalization: include last service date, service type, tech name where memorable. Generic mass-blast under-performs personalized.
Clear call to action: book online (with link), call directly (with click-to-call number), reply to confirm interest.
Checkpoints
- 3-touch sequence drafted
- Personalization variables defined
- Welcome-back offer set
Phase 3
Send, track, and refine
Ongoing
Send via email + SMS (different channels reach different customers). Most platforms support sequence automation.
Track open rates, response rates, conversion to booked service, revenue per campaign. Healthy: 20-30% email open rate, 5-15% reactivation rate, ROI of 5-15x campaign cost.
Quarterly campaign cycle: re-run campaign for newly-lapsed customers each quarter. Customers who don't respond to one campaign cycle can be re-attempted in 6-12 months.
Continuous refinement: test subject lines, offer amounts, message tone. Small improvements compound across thousands of sent messages.
Checkpoints
- Campaign sent and tracked
- Quarterly cadence established
- 5-15% reactivation rate per cycle
Common pitfalls
One-time campaign with no follow-up
Single-touch campaigns get 30-50% of the response a 3-touch sequence generates. Persistence pays.
Generic messaging ignoring customer history
Personalized messages referencing last service convert dramatically better than generic 'we miss you' content.
No clear next step in message
Message that ends with 'let us know if you need anything' converts at fraction of message with specific call to action ('book online here').
What good looks like
- Quarterly reactivation campaign cycle
- 5-15% reactivation rate per cycle
- ROI 5-15x campaign cost
- Newly-lapsed customers automatically added to next quarterly campaign
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